Dr. Kelühol Tase has made it his duty to preserve and resurrect the rhododendron tree, which is renowned as the state flower of Nagaland, as most kinds of flora and animals were on the verge of extinction.
As he spoke with this correspondent, Tase recalled his admiration and love for rhododendrons, which he has cherished since his early years.
Tase wanted to do more after working for five years as vice principal at Kros College and as registrar at St. Joseph’s College. With this in mind, he decided to start his own business and moved forward with the “Rhododendron Park Jakhama,” which was opened on November 28, 2022 by former chief minister T R Zeliang.
He warned that the R. Watti species of Rhododendron, in particular, was on the verge of extinction due to ongoing human activity and wild forest fires in the Dzukou Valley (according to the Botanical Survey of India (BSI)). Therefore, he emphasised the significance of preserving and reviving the flower plant.
Rhododendron petals and leaves were prized for their therapeutic benefits; they were particularly effective at treating gout, arthritis, and bronchitis.
Tase also discussed the fable that claims eating the petals of a plant may readily remove fish bones from the neck if they become lodged there after consumption.
Additionally, according to the 2011 Red List of Rhododendrons published by Botanic Gardens Conservation International, which was 128 pages long, researchers discovered that 25 percent, or 1157 species, of the Rhododendron species, were in danger of going extinct.
(WITH INPUT FEEDS)
